Magbabayad ng buwis

"I didn't expect I'd become a chess piece in the Fearless Alliance I created with my own hands… What a joke this is." Ye Wanwan chuckled aloofly.

"Hindi ko inasahan na magiging chess piece ako ng Fearless Alliance na ginawa ko mismo gamit ang aking mga kamay… anong kalokohan ito." Natawa si Ye Wan Wan.

"You… really are Sis Feng?" Seven Star examined her.

"Ikaw… talaga si Sia Feng?" Sinuri siya ni Seven Star.

"Seven Star, I rescued you from the slums when you were nine years old, and you've followed me ever since. Do you remember that?" Ye Wanwan asked.

"Seven Star, niligtas kita mula sa skwater noong siyam na taong gulang ka pa lang, at simula noon ay sinundan mo na ako. Natatandaan mo ba iyon?" Tanong ni Ye Wan Wan.

"I remember…" Seven Star nodded after a moment of silence.

"Natatandaan ko…" tumango si Seven Star.

Ye Wanwan smiled with satisfaction. Good, good, this was information that she weaseled out of Big Dipper earlier.

Ngumiti at natuwa si Ye Wan Wan. Okay ito, ang impormasyon na ito ay nakuha niya mula kay Big Dipper noon.

"Sis Feng… I…"

"Sis Feng… ako ay…"

Seven Star wanted to say something else but was interrupted by a Fearless Alliance member reporting that emissaries from Asura were there to see her.

May gusto pa sanang sabihin si Seven Star ngunit naantala siya sa ibang miyembro ng Fearless Alliance na nagsumbong sa kanya na may mga emissaries mula sa Asura na pumunta doon para makita siya.

"Asura…" Ye Wanwan's brows furrowed deeply when she heard that.

"Asura…" napakunot si Ye Wan Wan nang marinig niya iyon.

A moment later, several men entered the conference room with large strides. The leading man cupped his fists toward Ye Wanwan and greeted her: "President Bai, it's an honor to meet you."

Sa isang saglit, ilang mga kalalakihan ang pumasok sa loob ng conference room. Ang lider nila ay nag-bow sa harapan ni Ye Wan Wan: "Presidente Bai, isang karangalan na makilala ka."

"What does Asura want from us?" Ye Wanwan asked coldly.

"Anong kailangan ng Asura sa amin?" Tanong ni Ye Wan Wan.

"President Bai, our Lord Asura won't seek retributions for past events… However, as a group situated in this territory, the Fearless Alliance has to pay half their profits as tribute every month. This is the rule; I think you should understand!" the leading man declared with a haughty expression.

"Presidente Bai, hindi na maghihiganti ang Lord Asura sa mga nangyari noon… gayunpaman, bilang grupo na nandito sa teritoryong ito, kailangang magbayad ng Fearless Alliance ng kalahati ng kita nila kada buwan. Ito ang batas; sa tingin ko ay maiintindihan mo naman!" Mapagmataas na sinabi ng lider.

"Heh… What a joke!" Ye Wanwan shot up instantly and stared at the Asura members. Her expression became harsh as she said, "You should look into what kind of person I, Bai Feng, am! I only accept tributes; no one has dared to demand tributes from my Fearless Alliance…"

"Heh… kalokohan!" Napatayo si Ye Wan Wan habang tinititigan niya ang mga miyembro ng Asura. Nagalit siya nang sabihin niya, "Sana alam niyo kung anong klaseng tao ako, si Bai Feng! Tumatanggap ako ng buwis at walang nagdedemanda ng buwid mula sa Fearless Alliance…"

Ye Wanwan glanced at the emissary sardonically and sat on the sofa with her ankle on one knee. "What do you think of this? From now on, your Asura will hand over half of your revenue every month to our Fearless Alliance as tribute!"

Tiningnan ng masama ni Ye Wan Wan ang emisaryo at umupo siya sofa ng naka-dekwatro. "Ano ang tingin mo dito? Simula ngayong araw, ang Asura ay kailangang magbayad ng kalahati ng kanilanh kita sa Fearless Alliance kada buwan!"

"What… what did you say…?" The leading man's face was dark and full of disbelief; he never would've expected Ye Wanwan to say such a gutsy thing.

"Ano… anong sinabi mo?" Hindi makapaniwala ang lider. Hindi niya inakala na malakas pala ang loob ni Ye Wan Wan.

"Go back and tell Lord Asura that if he wants a tribute, he should come see me himself! You better not make me say that a second time! I think you should know the fate of the people from Asura who came to obtain tributes back then," Ye Wanwan threatened icily.

"Bumalik ka at sabihin mo kay Lord Asura na kung gusto niyang makuha ang buwis namin, dapat siya mismo ang pumunta dito! Sana hindi mo ipapa-ulit ito sa akin! Sa tingin ko, alam mo naman ang nagiging kapalaran ng mga tao mula sa Asura na pumunta upang manguha ng buwis namin noon," tinakot sila ni Ye Wan Wan.

After fumbling around for so long, she was now a professional imitator of Bro Flattop's speech and style.

Pagkatapos niyang magkunwari na si Bro Flattop ng matagal, siya na ngayon ay isang propesyonal na imitator ng pananalita at estilo ni Bro Flattop.

"Alright, I'll bring President Bai's words back to Lord Asura… but you'll have to take responsibility for the consequences yourself, President Bai… We're leaving!" The leader waved his hand with clenched teeth and led his lackeys out of the room pompously.

"Sige, sasabihin ko ang sinabi ni Presidente Bai kay Lord Asura… pero dapat maging responsable ka sa magiging kahihinatmam mo, Presidente Bai… Aalis na kami!" Kumaway ang galit na lider at sabay-sabay silang lumabas ng mga tauhan niya.

…

At the same time, in the forbidden zone of the Independent State, in an independently standing hall:

Sa oras na iyon, sa pinagbabawal na lugar sa Independent State, sa loob ng nag-iisang hall:

On the chief seat placed in the center of the hall, there was a man dressed in a black suit with icy eyes that never seemed to melt, his powerful aura sent people trembling.

Sa upuan ng chief na nasa gitna ng hall, may lalaki na nakasuot ng itim na suit at ang kanyang mga mata ay yelo na hindi natutunaw, nanginig ang lahat sa makapangyarihan niyang awra.

Beneath him, a brunette in a suit looked up at him and said, "Heh, the Fearless Alliance's guts are truly the same as before… They dare to sprout arrogant nonsense and demand Lord Asura personally see her? Master, since Bai Feng is so imprudent, let's issue Asura's Garrote Order! I wager it's been a long time since the Independent State has seen our Asura's Garrote Order!"

Sa ilalim niya, may lalaking brunette na naka-suit ang tumingin sa kanya, "Heh, ang lakas talaga ng loob ng Fearless Alliance, tulad pa rin ng dati… ang lakas ng loob nila para magsalita ng masasamang bagay at humiling pa sila kay Lord Asura na personal siyang makita ng presidente? Master, dahil hangal si Bai Feng, ipatupad natin ang Garrote Order! Parang matagal na panahon na noong nakita ng Independent State ang Garrote Order ng Asura!"

The man sitting in the chief seat didn't speak for a long time. A while later, he coldly ordered, "Dismissed."

Matagal na nanahimik ang lalaki na nakaupo sa upuan ng chief. Makalipas ang ilang saglit, nag-utos siya ng, "Dismissed."

"My lord… then the Fearless Alliance…" a middle-aged man beneath him asked with a dissatisfied frown.

"Kamahalan… ang Fearless Alliance ay…" nakasimangot na sinabi ng may gulang na lalaking mas mababa sa kanya.